A communication system can be seen as a facility that enables communications between two or more nodes or devices such as fixed or mobile communication devices, access points (AP) such as base stations, relays, servers and so on. A communication system and compatible communicating entities typically operate in accordance with a given standard or specification which sets out what the various entities associated with the system are permitted to do and how that should be achieved. For example, the standards, specifications and related protocols can define the manner how various devices shall communicate with each other, how various aspects of the communications shall be implemented and how the devices shall be configured.
Signals can be carried on wired or wireless carriers. Examples of wireless communication systems include architectures that are standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). A recent development in this field is often referred to as the long-term evolution (LTE) of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) radio-access technology. Further developments of the communication systems are expected.
A communication device can be provided with an appropriate signal receiving and transmitting arrangement for enabling communications with other devices. Typically a communication device is used for enabling receiving and transmission of communications such as speech and data. A user can access wirelessly a communication system by means of an appropriate wireless communication device or terminal, often referred to as user equipment (UE). Other types of wireless communication devices are also known, for example various access points, relays, and so on that are capable of communicating wirelessly with other devices.
New services and communication architectures are emerging. For example, proximity-based applications and services have been proposed. The introduction of a proximity services (ProSe) capability in systems such as LTE can be used to enable use of the proximity-based applications. One aspect of proximity services is devices capable of device-to-device communications (D2D).
Device-to-device communication in cellular networks can be used to off-load the communication from core network to high-speed local connection, but also to form local, isolated communicating groups for e.g. emergency services, among friends or even as a personal-area network as discussed in 3GPP TR22.803. Many of these networks carry at least private data, in some cases also confidential information. Thus proper protection against e.g. eavesdropping is a wanted feature.
The Trusted Computing Group is a forum that standardizes security elements for trustworthy computing. One of the standards defines the TPM—the trusted platform module—which is a hardware component in a computing device that will be placed in the trusted computing base of the device, and consequently provide standardized security services to the OS and applications.
It is noted that the above discussed issues are not limited to any particular communication environment and station apparatus but may occur in any appropriate system.